⚫️ the cramps - the never ending pain- trying to paint on a smile and do your best.

⚫️ the weight loss/gain - medications vary with their side effects but if you're unwell and not absorbing anything you will lose weight- on the flip side we can gain weight quickly too. (Damn those steroids)

⚫️ the constant comments- 'Well you don't look ill' 'oh my aunties sisters cat had that and now she's cured' none of these helpful - it's hard enough fighting illness we shouldn't have to explain ourselves or be judged just because you can't see it.

⚫️ the pressure to 'be normal' to be that normal work colleague- to not have to take time off.

We're doing our best and that's all we can do.

We fight every single day to maintain some sort of normality and not let these diseases beat us.

A Penzance woman who was horrified to discover the suicide of a 10-year-old in America recently embarked on a global mission to educate the world that people living with stomas don’t smell and are no different to anybody else.

The wonderful Annie Jenkins named one of Cornwall’s most inspirational women. Alongside fellow ostomate Zoey Wright. Cornwall Live ... See more

"You are not a size, you are not a weight, you are not a colour, you are not an age, you are not an image, you are not a disability, you are not your health, you are not weak, you are not a advert, you are not stupid, you are not a trophy, you are not your insecurities, you are a you and you are simply beautiful... We may not have many bowels between us, we may not have our health, we may have many scars, we may have our demons but together we stand proud"

“I saw the devastating news about a 10-year-old boy taking his own life in America because of bullying about his stoma. I have a 10-year-old son and this really got to me, I can’t even begin to imagine what his parents are feeling.”